Gary Stein: Getting religiously bashed by readers

November 3, 2013|Gary Stein, Columnist

At least no one prayed that I get turned into a pillar of salt.

Not yet, at least.

But there sure were plenty of angry people who took issue with a recent column I wrote about religion. I said I didn't think people should be putting their personal religious displays onto public — i.e., taxpayer — property. Taxpayers of ALL religions.

And I praised Deerfield Beach for banning all holiday displays — in this particular case, a Nativity scene placed at Fire Station No. 1 — on city-owned land if the city doesn't put it up itself.

My feeling on religion is: practice it in and around your own house, or in your house of worship, and in your heart. The more you try to push your religion on somebody else, the less effective it is. And the more insecure you must be in your religion.

Deerfield Beach did the right thing. And unlike Sen. Marco Rubio, who keeps changing his mind on immigration depending on what the blowhards in the tea party want him to say, I am not changing my mind.

Well, I didn't get struck by a swarm of locusts. But close.

A small sample of the e-mails and letters and calls and online responses:

"This country was founded by Christians, not Jews. So Christmas, the Christian holiday, is on the forefront. Don't be jealous. Just move to Israel if you don't like it."

"Don't force your opposition to Christian religions upon people. I do not like being preached to by pseudo journalists."

"Totalitarian regimes first seek to ban all public religion, then outlaw all private display of religion, and then move to wash all religion even from the hearts of the people." (from a pastor in Hollywood.)

"What is the true meaning of Christmas? Why change it? Leave customs alone. Since when does the minority rule under the guise of fairness."

"When the vast majority of Deerfield residents fall under the judeo-Christian beliefs, I find it frustrating when the vocal minority speaks louder than the majority. P.S. — at least our currency still reflects the message on what this nation was built on – In God We Trust."

"You are a person of rare knowledge, Steiny. It's rare when you show it."

"Religion is not meant to be shoved down ones throat, but shared. Hence spread the word. I own a small business. I will have a religious display. Next to my Redskins banner. We have become a nation of (bleeps), and the media boys are the ringleaders."

"Stein should have told the forefathers about this before they mentioned God and the Creator numerous times in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution."

Several things here.

First, if you want a religious display on your own business, if it's your property, knock yourself out.

Second, this is not about minority or majority rule. It is about not forcing your personal, private religious displays onto public property.

Third, I never met the forefathers personally and don't know exactly what they were thinking — as some who wrote me obviously do — but I believe Ben and George and Thomas and the gang were all in favor of separation of church and state. But perhaps they were just joking about that when they came up with all those amendments.

Anyway, I believe a lot of folks really missed the point. Have all the religious displays you want. Just enjoy them inside and around the outside of your home (within reason,) and in your house of worship. And keep it in your heart.

To me, religion is a personal thing that has the most meaning when it's not in neon being shoved in people's faces.

And yes, unlike the aforementioned Mr. Rubio, I am not changing my opinion.